The Burning Times
by Lunadoragon
Summary: AU Usagi is a twenty year old woman living in Colonial America when suddenly her life is turned upside down when she is accused of Witchcraft. SeiUsa ON HOLD.....Gomen Nasai
1. Friends, Jealousy, and a Stranger

**Greeting minna and welcome to my new story. It is an AU and takes place in America, so no Japanese for you. **

**Even though it takes place in America, I am still using the Japanese the Japanese names…well, because I just like them better than the Americanized ones. Therefore the names are announced the English way, given name THEN family name.**

**I hope you enjoy this story, even thought this chapter is mainly informational…you know, setting up the plot and such things like that. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Because I have to do it, I do not own any of the Sailor Moon Characters, but I am just borrowing them for a while for my own sick and twisted purposes….well, okay, maybe not sick…….sigh. The song 'Faerie's Love Song' is also not mine.**

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**Chapter One- Friends, Jealousy, and a Stranger **

It was a quiet, warm day at the cottage that sat on the banks of Proctor's brook, just outside of Salem Village. A woman, not more than twenty, lived there alone with her cats, Luna and Tinkerbell, ever since her parents passed away from Black Fever when she was just fifteen years old. It was June twentieth, 1692, and she was counting down the days until her birthday. Even though she was an adult, she still acted like a child sometimes. Especially when it came to her birthday.

She stepped out of the cottage with a basket on her hip. She tilted her face towards the sky, her eyes closed, letting the sun bathe it for a few moments. She opened her sapphire blue eyes and turned towards the brook, getting ready to start the task at hand.

Her blonde hair was bound by a braid that fell down her back and ended well past her waist. On top of her head was a white mob cap, keeping all of the stray hairs out of her face. Her dress was a deep, forest green that ended just above her black booted toes. The skirt was partially covered by a homespun linen apron. Her long sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, revealing skin as pale as milk.

She knelt by the brook and took a piece of clothing out of the basket and thrust it into the cool water. She started to scrub it with a bar of lye soap. As she scrubbed her laundry, she started to sing a song that her mother once taught her when she was a child.

Why should I sit and sigh

Broo and bracken, broo and bracken

Why should I sit and sigh

All alone and weary

When I see the plover rising

Or the curlew wheeling

It's then I'll court my mortal lover

Back to me is stealing

When the moon begins her waning

I sit by the water

Where a man born of the sunlight

Loved the Faerie's daughter

Oh, but there is something wanting

O, but I am weary

Coming blithe, now bonny treads he

O'er the knolls to cheer me

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Across the brook, hidden amongst the bushes and trees, a woman with raven black hair was crouched amongst the greenery, watching the blonde haired woman with hate in her dark purple eyes. For she hated the woman across the brook very much. She was the one who stole the attention of the one she loved.

She watched as the blonde woman knelt by the brook and started her wash. She heard her golden voice as she started to sing to herself.

Why should I sit and sigh

All alone and weary

She narrowed her purple eyes as she scanned the area around the singing blonde woman. As she kept singing, small, multicolored lights appeared to be dancing slowly behind her, matching the rhythm of the song.

The raven haired woman smirked as she stood up form her hiding place. She dusted off her plain brown dress and turned away from the brook. As she headed back to Salem Village, a plan formulated in her mind on how she was to rid herself of her blonde haired rival.

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The blonde haired woman finished her wash and walked over to the clothesline to hang it to dry. As she did this, the sound of horse's hooves on the road met her ears. When she looked up, she saw a woman with blonde hair, very much likened unto her own, driving a wagon with a single horse in front of it. The woman's dress was a deep, sapphire blue with white linen collar and cuffs. She wore a bonnet to cover the top of her head, while the rest of her hair hung down her back in a single braid. The woman stopped her wagon in front of the cottage and got out.

"Minako!" The sapphire eyes woman called, stopping her laundry hanging to greet her longtime friend.

"Usagi! How are you this day?"

"I am well. What brings you by?" Usagi asked.

"Not much. I was bored so I thought I would stop by."

"Wonderful! How are you and your husband doing?" Usagi asked, returning to her laundry. Minako also bent down and picked up a piece of clothing to hang before answering her friend's question.

"Yaten is doing just fine. His business is doing really well." Yaten and Minako ran the local dry goods store in the village. He and Minako had been married for just over a year. "And I, well……" Minako blushed. "I wanted you to be the first to know, well, aside for Yaten of course. We are to have a child."

"Really?" Usagi exclaimed, dropping her laundry and hugging her friend. "This is wonderful news!"

Usagi dropped the dress that was in her hands back into the basket. She grabbed her friend's hand and pulled her towards the cottage.

"Now this calls for a break in chores. Come inside and I'll make us some tea."

"But….. your laundry!" Minako cried, being the ever conscious housewife that she was.

"It can wait. This day is a day of joy and celebration! Quit your protesting and come inside," Usagi said and dragged her friend into the cottage.

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On the opposite end of the village, a man on horseback came riding up Meeting House Road. He had long, raven black hair that was bound into a ponytail that rested at the nape of his neck. He wore black knee breeches and white hose. His black leather riding boots stopped mid-calf. His coat was black as well, but underneath was a white, homespun shirt and a forest green waistcoat. His head was covered by a black tricorne hat. His indigo eyes darted back and forth, surveying the village.

A woman with brown hair peeking out from underneath her mob cap came out of a building on his right that had the name 'Salem Bakery' painted upon it. Her plain brown dress and white apron was covered in flour, as where parts of her face. In her hands was a basket of baked goods.

"Pardon me, Miss," the man called to the woman, dismounting from his horse.

The brown haired woman turned around and focused her emerald eyes on the stranger.

"Yes, may I help you good sir?" She asked, smiling.

"Could you kindly tell me where….." He took a piece of paper out of his pocket and consulted it. "Nehemiah Hino resides?"

"Mister Hino lives in the last house on the right," The green eyed woman said, pointing down the road.

"Thank you kindly Miss……." He trailed of, realizing that he did not know the name of the young woman who just helped him.

She laughed and held her flour covered hand out. "My name is Makoto. My husband, Motoki, and I own this bakery and the mill behind it." She handed him a sweetbread from her basket.

"Here you go. You must be hungry from your journey and this should tide you over until you have completed your business with Mister Hino."

"Thank you very much," he said, taking the bread from the woman, smiling. "My name is Kou Seiya, but I go by Seiya."

"Well, Mister Seiya, I better be on my way. It was nice to meet you," Makoto said and walked down the street, turning to disappear between two buildings.

Seiya mounted his horse once again and continued on his previous path while chewing on the sweetbread that Makoto had given him. By the time he was finished he had made it to the last house on the road. He dismounted and tethered his horse to the hitching post that was next to the front gate. He walked up to the two story, whitewashed house, straightening his coat as he walked.

He knocked on the door and waited, taking off his hat. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other when the door opened to reveal a woman of medium height and long, raven black hair. She looked at the man on her doorstep with unconcealed curiosity.

"Yes, may I help you?" She asked.

"Yes, Miss. Is this the home of Nehemiah Hino?" Seiya asked politely.

"Yes, this is. May I ask who is calling so I may introduce you?"

"My name is Kou Seiya."

"Please follow me, Mister Kou," the woman said, stepping away from the doorway to allow her father's caller to enter the house. She closed the door behind them and lead the way though the house. She stopped in front of a closed door and knocked softly upon it.

"Yes? Who is it?" A voice called from the other side.

"It is I, Father. You have a caller."

"Come in." The raven haired woman opened the door to reveal a middle aged man with red hair sitting at a desk, writing in a ledger.

"Father, Kou Seiya is here to see you," the woman said. Nehemiah looked up from his work to see his daughter standing just inside the doorway with a man, just a bit taller than she was, standing behind her.

"Thank you, Rei. You may go."

Rei bowed her head and left the room, closing the door quietly behind her. Nehemiah stood up from his desk and walked over to the young man, offering his hand in greeting.

"So, you're Kou Seiya from Boston, eh? Welcome to Salem. Please have a seat," the red haired man said, releasing Seiya's hand and gesturing towards a chair in front of the desk.

"Thank you, Mister Hino," Seiya said, taking a seat.

"Do you know why we've requested assistance from Boston, Mister Seiya?"

"No, Sir, I do not. The governor did not give ne much information before sending me on my way."

"We have and outbreak of, well, to be blunt about it, Witchcraft. Myself and Mamoru Chiba, the other magistrate of the village, are overburdened with cases. That's where you come in, Kou."

"Yes? And please, call me Seiya. I never cared much for my given name."

"As you wish. You are to be given cases the in which you are to determine whether or not the person accused is a servant of Satan. If they are, you are to punish them according to our laws given to us by God," Nehemiah said.

Seiya nodded at the red haired man. "When would you like me to start?"

"Well, you must get settled in, so I will have you start tomorrow. You can start by apprehending one who has just been accused. One," he looked down at his ledger, "Usagi Tsukino."

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**I hope you like this, Please review to let me know what you think. The more reviews I get the faster I write so…..that's your hint!**

**Ja ne!**

**Luna**


	2. A Capture and a Meeting

**Here it is Minna! the long awaited second chapter of The Burning Times. I want to thank all who reviewed, Sailor Fire Star, Princess Cornelia, Aeden Hale, Tsukino USA, JasLine, and Grey. For without you six, I would not know if this story were liked. Arigato Gozaimasu!**

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**Chapter Two- A Capture and a Meeting**

Usagi and Minako were sitting at the kitchen table in her cottage, sipping tea and talking of the blessed event to come.

"Which do you wish for, Minako? A boy or girl?" Usagi asked.

"Well, I know Yaten wants a boy, you know, to take over the family store and such things. But, I'm secretly wishing for a little girl," Minako said, smiling and resting a hand upon her stomach. She was imagining a little silver-blonde haired girl with green eyes, like her father, and a pleasant mix of both of their personalities.

"How lucky you are, Minako. I long for the day that I marry and have children of my own," Usagi sighed.

"But why have you not married, Usagi? It is not like there is not enough gentlemen in this village," Minako said with a chuckle.

"Minako, you know as well as I that most people in the village has treated me differently since my parent's passing, God rest their souls."

"God rest their souls," Minako repeated out of respect for her friend's parents.

"And unfortunately, the only one who has given me any kind of attention, in the attraction sense, is Mamoru." Usagi made a face.

"But he is handsome," Minako said. "And he is from a good family. Plus he's a magistrate."

"But he's so arrogant! He acts like I should be so grateful the he even pays me the slightest bit of attention. No…. he wants a woman who will obey his every whim, without question," Usagi said, taking a sip of her tea.

"You're definitely too independent for that!" Minako laughed.

"Anyways, I would like a man who likes me for me, not try to change me into something I will never be."

"Like Yaten and I?"

"Yes."

The two blonde women fell into a comfortable silence, sipping their tea. The sudden sound of horse's hooves on the walkway up to the cottage broke the silence. The women looked at each other as someone pounded on the door.

Both Usagi and Minako rushed to the door. Usagi opened it to reveal a man wearing brown knee breeches, white shirt and brown waistcoat. His long, silver hair was in disarray and his peridot green eyes were filled with fear and worry. He was panting slightly, as if he were the one who ran to the cottage and not the horse.

"Yaten, sweetheart, what is wrong?" Minako asked her husband.

"They arrested Setsuna!" Both women gasped.

"Not Setsuna! She can't be a witch!" Usagi cried, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"Who has accused her?" Minako asked calmly.

"Who do you think?" Yaten asked back, a look of disgust crossed his features.

"Rei?" Yaten nodded his head.

"Rumor has it that she saw Setsuna in the woods dancing with Satan." He said.

Minako laughed out loud. "That is absurd! She's a goodly God-fearing woman, just as the rest of us are!"

"Yaten, may I borrow your horse?" Usagi asked suddenly, tears escaping her sapphire blue eyes and running down her face.

He just nodded at the strange request from his wife's friend. Before either one of them could say anything, Usagi jumped up onto Yaten's horse and took off towards the village.

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Seiya walked into the local in to find a room for the time being until he could find a place of his own. He walked up to the counter to see what looked like a tall man with short blonde hair and green-grey eyes. He wore black knee breeches and a white shirt with a dark blue waistcoat.

"Pardon me," Seiya said, getting the 'man's' attention.

"Yes?" Green-grey eyes studied the stranger on the other side of the counter. "May I help you?"

"Yes. I would like to procure a room for the evening, if you have one available," Seiya said, placing his travel bag on the floor. Before anymore could be said, a woman with teal colored hair burst into the inn. She wore a light green dress that swished around her ankles as she rushed towards the counter.

"Haruka! Mamoru just arrested Setsuna!" The teal haired woman said, rushing behind the counter.

"No! That can't be!" Haruka cried in surprise.

Both rushed outside leaving Seiya standing next to the counter, confused. He followed the pair outside, arriving just in time to see a man wearing all black, with exception of his white shirt and hose. His unfashionably short jet black hair peaked out from underneath his hat. His dark blue eyes darted back and forth to the people lining the street, almost daring anyone to defy his arrest.

Walking next to him, firmly in his grasp, walked a tall woman in a dirty burgundy dress. Her dark green hair was unbound and fell past her waist in tangles. Streaks of dirt and dried tears stained her lovely face, but her garnet colored eyes were now devoid of tears, almost as if in defiance of the man next to her. Her hands were bound n front of her with iron manacles.

Seiya watched with Haruka and the teal haired woman as the two walked down the street and into a two story building.

"I just can't believe it!" The teal haired woman murmured aloud, slipping her arm around Haruka's.

"Neither can I, Michiru," The blonde said. "Setsuna is a good woman. I see her in church every Sabbath."

Just then, a blur of green and blonde galloped by on horseback at full speed. All three pairs of eyes followed the horse and rider.

The blonde woman stopped the horse outside the building that Mamoru had just entered with Setsuna. She hastily dismounted and ran inside. Seiya, watching this, decided to see what was to happen next. Curiosity always did get the better of him.

'This should be interesting. I wonder who that other woman was?' He thought to himself. "I will be back shortly to see about that room," Seiya said to Haruka and walked down the street.

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Usagi rushed inside the building and stopped in the foyer to let her eyes adjust to the dim light that was filtering though the curtained windows. She sapphire blue eyes swept the area, but saw no one in sight. She listened and heard the fleshy sound of a hand meeting a face and a woman cry out.

"Confess!" She heard a man yell, followed by another slapping sound.

"Never! I will not confess to something I did not do!" A woman's voice said.

Usagi walked quietly up to the door in which all the noise was coming from. She slowly pushed open the door to reveal the scene before her.

Setsuna sat in a chair with her hands tied behind her back. Blood trickled down from the corner of her mouth. Her garnet eyes were moist from tears, but none fell down her face. They stared at her inquisitor, who was standing but a foot in front of her. His hand was raised to strike again.

"Confess, I say! There is a witness to your dealings with Satan!" He cried, slapping the woman again.

"It is not true!" The green haired woman cried out, after recovering from the slap.

"STOP IT!" Usagi suddenly cried out, making her presence known. She rushed towards her friend and shoved Mamoru out of her way. She stood between the bound woman and her tormentor.

"This is none of your concern, Miss Tsukino," Mamoru said, glaring at the woman who was keeping him from his task at hand.

"Like Hell it isn't!" The young woman cried out, surprising herself with her use of profanity. "Setsuna is like a mother to me! I've known her since before I can even remember! And now you stand there, accusing her of things she has not done!"

Usagi's sapphire eyes were flashing as she stared down the black haired man in front of her. Her small hands were balled into fists as tears ran down her face.

"She has bewitched you! Tricked you!" Mamoru cried, grabbing the young, blonde woman's arm and yanked her out of his way so hard that she yelped in pain.

"Let go of me!" She yelled, trying to free her arm from Mamoru's grasp. She yelped again as he pulled her towards the door. He shoved her out the door with a grunt and slammed it in her face. She heard the soft click of the lock being secured.

She tried to open the door, but it would not budge. She pounded on the door.

"Let me in, Damn you!" She cried as she pounded on the door with her tiny fists. Tears blinded her eyes as she kept up her assault on the door.

"Damn you….." She finally whispered in defeat. She slowly turned and walked out of the building, her gaze resting upon the ground in front of her.

As she walked out the front door, she ran into someone who was just about to enter the building she had just exited.

"Pardon me, I am sorry," She mumbled, not looking at the person as she continued her journey towards the street. A hand came up and stopped her progress towards her destination. She winced as the hand closed upon her arm in the same place Mamoru's had just a few moments prior.

"Hey," a male voice asked softly. "Are you alright?"

Usagi turned and looked that he man who had stopped her. Her watery sapphire eyes met his dark indigo ones and a jolt went though her body.

"Do I know you?" She asked, still staring at the man who held her.

"I don't believe so. I've only just arrived in this village but a few hours ago," the man said, releasing his grasp of the blonde haired woman. "Are you alright?" He asked again.

Usagi felt the loss of this strange man's touch keenly. Deep down she wondered why, but now was not the time to dwell on such things.

"No, Sir, I am not alright," She said, anger creeping into her lovely, golden voice. "That man, Mister Chiba, has accused a dear friend of mine of something she did not do. I've known Setsuna all of my life and never have I known a kinder soul. She was with me the day my parents passed. She is one of the few that supported me though that most difficult time in my life.

And now, someone dares call her a servant of Satan? I think more that they are jealous of her because she has a good family life. Her husband, Alexander, is a good man and her daughter, Hotaru, is the sweetest child you could ever meet. How could such an 'evil' person raise such a beautiful and kind daughter?" Fresh tears spilled down Usagi's face.

The man stared at her, not quite knowing what to say to comfort the distressed young woman before him.

Suddenly she regained her composure and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I am sorry. I am telling you all of these problems and I do not even know you."

"I am sorry, I forgot my manners," the man said, quickly removing his hat to reveal a mess of raven hair. "My name is Kou Seiya, from Boston, at your service, Miss."

"Pleased to meet you, Mister Seiya," she said, giving a small curtsey. She rose and looked into his eyes once again.

"My name is Usagi Tsukino."

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**Well how about that! They met...what's going to happen now that he's set eyes on the one he is supposed to capture the next day? Who knows...but this sould get interesting...muwahahahaha...hahahah...haha...ha...teehee!**

**Ja ne!**

**Luna**


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